Hydrazine derivatives of oligomers of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropene



United States Patent O US. Cl. 260-583 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Derivatives of tetrafluoroethylene tetramer C F pentamer (3101 and hexamers C F and of hexafluoropropene trimers C F containing one or more groups attached to the oligomer residue. Derivatives containing the first three of these groups are made by contacing an oligomer with anhydrous gaseous ammonia at 10 C.30 C. in a solvent reaction medium or by heating an oligomer with a concentrated aqueous solution of ammonia at 50 C.100 C. Those containing NHNH groups are made by reactions between oligomer and hydrazine. Examples include C F NH and C F (NH) from the tetramer C F and C F (NH (CN) and C F NHNl-l from the pentamer C F The derivatives are useful intermediates, for example alkaline hydrolysis converts them into highly fluorinated nitriles which can be reduced to amines and the latter quaternised with alkyl halides to yield cationic surfactants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Reactions of oligomers of tetrafluoroethylene and of hexafluoropropene with inorganic nucleophiles whereby one or more fluorine atoms are eliminated from the oligomer molecule.

Description of prior art Nothing pertinent known.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Novel derivatives of oligomers of tetrafluoroethylene and of oligomers of hexafluoropropene whose molecules contain one or more I I CEN, o=NH, (l3NH2 and (|JNHNH2 groups in which the carbon atoms are carbon atoms of the oligomers. Those derivatives containing -CEN, \C=NH or ([?NH2 groups are made by reactions between oligomers and ammonia, whilst those containing groups arise from reactions of oligomer with hydrazine. This invention relates to highly fluorinated compounds 3,502,726 Patented Mar. 24, 1970 containing functional groups, particularly to nitrogen-containing compounds derived from oligomers of tetrafluoroethylene and of hexafluoropropene.

Oligomers of tetrafluoroethylene are for the purpose of this specification defined as branched-chain internally unsaturated perfluoroolefins having the empirical formula (C 11,), where n is an integer greater than three and commonly from four to seven, though it can be greater. Likewise oligomers of hexafluoropropene are defined as branched-chain internally unsaturated perfluoroolefins having the empirical formula (C F where n is 2 or 3. These oligomers can be made by heating respectively tetrafluoroethylene or hexafiuoropropene with an ionic catalyst, for example an alkali metal halide, in a polar organic solvent, for example dimethylformamide.

Some of the fluorine atoms in an oligomer molecule can be removed by reactions between the oligomer and compounds containing reactive atoms, for example hydrogen or alkali metal atoms, whereby derivatives of the oligomer are formed. Those containing functional groups possess useful surface-active and other properties.

The present invention is concerned with novel oligomer derivatives made by reactions between oligomers and ammonia and between oligomers and hydrazine whereby fluorine from the oligomer and hydrogen from ammonia or hydrazine are eliminated as hydrogen fluoride and the oligomer residue and ammonia or hydrazine residues become linked through one or more nitrogen atoms. The courses of the reactions are not simple since fluorine atoms attached to more than one carbon atom of the oligomer can be eliminated, but it can be said that in general ammonia reacts with a I CF I group to introduce a group into the oligomer molecule; with a CF group to introduce a C=NH group; and with a CF group to introduce a CEN group. Hydrazine reacts in a similar manner with a group to introduce a --|NH. NH2

group into the oligomer molecule. Thus the invention in its general form provides highly fluorinated nitrogen-containing derivatives of oligomers of tetrafluoroethylene and of oligomers of hexafluoropropene whose molecules contain at least one of the groups -CEN, C=NH (I]NH2 and -(:JNH.NHz

in which the carbon atoms are carbon atoms of the oligomer molecule.

In a particular form the invention provides highly fluorinated nitrogen-containing derivatives of tetrafluoroethylene tetramer (C F having respectively the empirical formulae C F NH and C F (NH) and the highly fluorinated nitrogen-containing derivative of tetra? fluoroethylene pentamer (C 1 5 having the empirical formula C F (NH (CN).

.3 The derivatives obtained by reactions of ammonia with the tetr'amer and pentamer of tetrafiuoroethylene and of hydrazine with the pentamer are well characterised, and

their properties are consistent with the structural formulae described hereinafter. Reactions of ammonia and hydrazine with higher oligomers of tetrafluoroethylene, for example the hexamer, and of ammonia with the isomeric trimers of hexafluoropropene give rise to derivatives containing one or more of the groups a cipitated solids may then'make stirring difficult. The reactions can alsobe carried out at higher temperatures, for example 50 C. to 100 C., under moderate pressure if desired, using a strong aqueous solution of ammonia and stirring vigorously.

The derivatives obtained by reactions of oligomers with ammonia and hydrazine are useful intermediates. For example they can be hydrolysed with aqueous solutions of caustic soda or caustic potash to give highly fiuorinated nitriles that ,can be reduced to amines and quaternised, for example with methyl iodide, to give cationic surface active agents.

W Example 1 Q Anhydrous ammonia was" bubbled through a stirred solution of'tetrafluoroethylene pentamer (100 g.) in ether (1 litre) at room temperature. When the reaction was complete the precipitated ammonium fluoride was filtered oif and the ether solution evaporated to give an oif-white "solid. Recrystallisjation benzene gave plates having a M. Pt. 69 C. in a yield of 80 g.

Found by analysis (percent by weight)f C, 26.1; H, 0.8; F,.,67.4; N, 6.4. C F H N requires (percent by i Weight): C, 26.4; H, 0.4; F, 67.0; N, 6.2.

The infra-red spectra showed the presence of both CEN and NH groups and mass-spectrographic analysis indicated a molecular formula C F H N F 7 nuclear magnetic resonance measurements showed two equivalent C F groups and two different CF groups. This evidencetaken as a whole is consistent with the structural formula (C2135) 2(CF3 )NHg.

i Example 2 Thegsecond component was shown by elementaryanalysis and mass-spectrographic analysis to have the empiri- Example 3 Anhydrous ammonia was bubbled through a solution of 50 g. .tetrafluoroethylene hexamer, (C F mixed isomers, in l00 mls. of 1,1,2-trifiuoro-l,2,2-trichloroethane at room temperature. When the reaction was complete the precipitated ammonium fluoride was filtered oif and the solution evaporated to dryness to giveaa white solid of indefinite melting point. Its infra-red spectra indicated the pres ence of a CEN and an NH group.

Example 4 Tetratluoroethylene pentamer (50 g.) and aqueous ammonia (5G mls. of solution of specific gravity 0.880) were heated together under reflux at 80 C. with vigorous stirring for two hours. Th'reaction mixture was cooled and filtered to give 15 g. of a white solid which on' recrystallisation from benzene melted at 68 C.69 C. and was identified as the same compound as that described in Example 1. V

Example 5 Tetrafiuoroethylene pentamer, (C F (12 g.) was added to a stirred solution of hydrazine hydrate (42 g.)

in water (30 mls.)/ethanol (90 mls.). An exothermic reaction set in immediately and the reaction mixture turned green. It was ieft under reflux for two hours after which 100 mls. water was added and the mixture extracted with ether (4X 75 mls.). The ether extract was dried overanhydroirs magnesium sulphate and distilled to remove ether and ethanol. The residue solidified on cooling and on recrystallisation from benzene gave 1.5. g. {12% yield) of white crystals melting at 70 C.-7l C.

Found by analysis (percent by weight): C, 24.9; H, 0.48; N, 6.4; F, 66.7. C F N H requires (percent by weight): 0, 23.4; H, 0.59; N, 5.45; F, 70.5.

The mass-spectrum agreed with this empirical formula and F nuclear magnetic resonance measurements were consistent with the structural formula i 'z o-x oocrcn)= c 3 Nri 2- 7 Example 6 V Anhydrous ammonia was bubbled through a solution of 9 g. of perfluoro"-2,4,S-trirhethylhexene-Z (one of the three isomeric trimers of hexafiuoropropene) in dry ether cal formula C F N H F nuclear magnetic resonance W orac owrapoiomoorz NH H mls.) for five hours at room temperature. Precipitated ammonium fluoride was then removed and the ether disstilled away to give a solid which after recrystallisation from benezen melted'at 69 C.-70 C. The infra-red 1 spectra of the compound showed it to contain a "-CEN and an NH group.

' Example 7 The reaction described in Example was carried out I NHNH:

in which the carbon atoms are carbon atoms or the oligomer molecule.

2. Highly fiuorinated nitrogen-containing derivatives of oligomers as claimed in claim 1 in which the oligomers are selected from the 'tetramer C F pentamer C F and the hexamers C F of tetrafiuoroethylene, and the trimers C F of hexafiiuoropropene.

3."A highly fiuorinated nitrogen-containing derivative of tetrafluoroethylene pentamer as claimed in claim 2 having the empirical formula C F NHNH References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1965 Berry 260-465.7 X 2/1966 Vogh 260-465.7

3,326,976 6/1967 Middleton.

CHARLES B. PARKER, Primary Examiner R. L. RAYMOND, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

